Confused about changing concert keys to mine

[SaxyGirl08]

I am having some trouble figuring out how to change concert keys to the alto sax key. I understand that you are supposed to take the concert key & go to the 6th degree of that scale.......does that mean that if it was B concert, for me it would be my Ab or G# because that's the 6th note in the B scale? This is really confusing me. If anyone could help me out on this, I would greatly appreciate it. :o

[bariman]

Ok, what they mean by major sixth is that you take the note you have to play in concert pitch and find it's major 6th.

Say you had a C Major Scale in Concert pitch:
C D E F G A B C

So you raise each note to it's major sixth:
C to A, D to B, E to C# etc.

So now, to play in tune with a concert C-major scale, you play on your sax:
A B C# D E F# G# A

You can also look at it as moving down three half-steps, like C to B to Bb to A. This adds 3 sharps to your key signature, as well.

This only works on Eb instruments like alto and bari sax

Bariman

[Morry]

I, too, always found it easier to go down a minor third. Getting familiar with the bass clef also helped me while in High School. They were always throwing trombone parts at the alto section and telling us to read it like it was in treble clef and add 3 sharps.

[bruce bailey]

Morry sounds like me. when I was a kid, we lived in a Quaker village and my cousin played t-bone and was the only other hornist around. We used the bass clef duet book and I did the 3#s deal and got on to it in 1963 and still use it today. When I did WW ensemble in a college, I never had a bassoon player and put a Bari on the Bsn part and had him/her do the same. Neat trick!

[SaxyGirl08]

Thanks for the help guys!!! I've seen the light!!!!!! :D It never ceases to amaze me how good finally figuring something out feels! It's a feeling I only experience through music..........all of a sudden it just clicks & everything falls into place & makes perfect sense!! It's amazing! Anyone know what I mean? lol. Thanks sooo much! :D

[bariman]

I know what you mean. Will you have to use this new enlightenment to transpose at school from a C part? I was always having to transpose a tuba (in C) part for Bari sax in High School. Or do you want to play with a piano or something?

Bariman

[SaxyGirl08]

I just needed to know how to change concert keys to the alto sax key, for like scales & stuff, but I have had to transpose french horn part for symphony once, but that was last year & my middle school band director fixed the key signature for me & all I had to do was raise the notes a whole step, but he never explained it to me. I wish he would have explained the key signature thing to me. I really want to understand that, & also how to transpose other from other parts as well.........ya know, just for future reference. Do you have any info on this......even general stuff would help. Thanks for your time!

[Gandalfe]

You might consider checking out the many sites on the Web that talk about scales. Here is a good starting point: http://www.saxontheweb.net/Coats/Beginner_Corner1.html

[gary]

Something to keep in mind, and it's in regard not only to a comment here but on another thread also. While thinking down a minor third may be easier for some to think of the transposition, please keep in mind that going down a minor third only gives you the pitch name and is not where it actually sounds. To get the same sounding pitch, you must play the note a major sixth up.

I.e. if you have a concert C and it's easier to think a minor third down (A) you still must play the "A" a major sixth above the concert pitch to get the same sounding notes.